used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
a-dropping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
a-going
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
a-setting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
clack-clacking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
dearly loved
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
EcclesnounUS /ˈekəlz/
Australian physiologist noted for his research on the conduction of impulses by nerve cells (1903-1997)
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
opinion or judgment
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
your parents
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
only a very short time before
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
hasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
hearsverbUS /hiːrz/
third-person singular of “hear” — perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
latchverbUS /lætʃ/
fasten with a latch
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
express in words
From this reading And the things they say!
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading "Come, come, Mrs. Eccles, I am always finding people sitting here.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
express in speech
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
theirselves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading And the things they say!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
up to a particular time
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I expect to see the latch go every minute."
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, and if they do; and some folks are always a-dropping in, and a-setting theirselves down, and a clack-clacking till a body can't get a bit of peace!
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
but in spite of that
From this reading "Dear heart, Miss Ruth, my dear, now don't ye be a-going yet, and me that hasn't set eyes on ye this month and more--and as hardly hears a body speak from morning till night."
